Nobody Lives Without Love
by The King of Pop
Summary: Things seem to be looking well Danny and Star. They're in love, school's out for summer, ghost activity is down. They couldn't ask for more. However, Technus and Skulker have formed a plan to eliminate the hero of Amity Park once and for all. If that wasn't enough, a new ghost enters the fray with a wave of crime, and enough power to match Danny. Or even beat him. Sequel to Echoes.
1. Revival

**So, here we are. The long awaited sequel to Echoes. I'm very sorry this has taken so long. I've been working on other projects, and on the side I kept trying to figure out a plot that I liked for this. But each time I'd start to get something down, I decided that I hated it and started over. I refuse to publish something that I hate, I care about the fans too much. If I like it, but you all think it sucked, then it was a miss. If I hate it, then I'm just a plain sorry ass. So, this first chapter won't be super long, but it's going to serve as a set up. Oh, and this story is going to be darker. Not just a big fluff-fest like Echoes.**

**This one is going to dive deep into a place not seen before in the Danny Phantom section. To my knowledge at least. So, onwards.**

The area around them was dark, darker than dark, to be honest. This place was on the very edges of the Ghost Zone, a place that no one ever went. It wasn't exactly dangerous, but much like Clockwork's Tower, it was kind of an unspoken rule that this area was a non-aggression space. _No one_, not even Pariah Dark, would dare to bring conflict here. The being that ruled over this domain was one that nobody ever tried to cross, at least that was the general idea. If anyone had ever caused the being problems, intentionally, they weren't around to talk about it.

The larger of the two ghosts, Skulker, eyed his partner with a small amount of concern. "Are you sure this is a good idea? If we're denied what we ask he might see fit to wipe us from existence."

Technus continued to walk through the cavern they had sought out, not slowing in the slightest. Thrown upon his shoulder was a body, but the weight didn't bother him. "If you want to back out you are free to do so. I, however, have had enough of that blasted ghost child ruining my plans. I'm going through with this, consequences be damned." He looked over at the hunter for a moment, before his gaze turned forward again. "As I explained to you before, I'm done playing nice with that irritating hero. We've constantly played by his rules, but no longer."

Skulker nodded, thinking of all the times that Danny Phantom managed to stop a ghost from taking control over Amity Park. Perhaps a different move here, or distracting the boy with a few citizens in danger of dying. Past plans and tactics couldn't be changed, but as Technus said, it was time to play by their own rules. What they were planning could very well tip the scales in favor of the duo, and the ghosts against the halfa in general.

Of course, some sacrifices would have to be made. In the name of progress their always were.

They finally reached the end of the cavern, where a large purple door rested within the stone, and the symbol for infinity upon it glowing green within the darkness. Skulker raised his mechanical hand to knock, but the door opened before he could. It would seem that the being inside was at least willing to speak with the duo. That was almost as rare as being personally invited into Clockwork's Tower to speak with the master of time himself. Without needing to be told they walked through, not knowing what they would find within. While everyone, or at least a large amount, within the Ghost Zone knew of this being, no one ever spoke of what was beyond the realm door.

"Why are you here? It has been some time since I last had visitors, much less ones in possession of a corpse from the Human World." The being was partially shadowed, only his high tops and jeans were currently visible. Though it was obvious that he was sitting in a Lazy-Boy or similar brand recliner, a hand upon his chin, but no details other than that.

Technus dropped the corpse onto the floor without care, then he and his companion both knelt and bowed their heads. "Creator of the Ghost Zone, we humbly ask of you to lend us aid in the form of a favor that we feel only one of your power could properly achieve." None of his usual loudness or over-the-top antics came out at the moment. Not around the being that created the Zone. He was not one to be trifled with, and would most likely not appreciate needless stupidity.

The Creator eyed him silently for a moment, causing the two kneeling ghosts to feel a small amount of panic build. The Creator tilted his head then, "What kind of a favor are you looking for? To seek out one such as me, well, you must have something grand in mind."

Skulker reached into one of his numerous compartments in his armor and pulled out two vials. One was filled with ectoplasmic blood, while the other had a dead scorpion inside it. "We ask that you combine this ghost blood with the essence of this scorpion." The hunter gestured towards the corpse then, "And merge the spiritual and genetic mixture with this body. Lastly, we would ask that you raise her from the dead."

While they expected a few things, amused chuckling was not one of them. The Creator leaned forward, the very small amount of light revealing tanned skin and black fingernails, "Well that's a new one for sure. No one has ever asked me to dabble in such experimentation before. What you are asking for pushes the very limits of science and the supernatural. However," His fingers lightly tapped the arm of the recliner, "Such a favor would require an equally worthy return."

"I will collect in due time, for now," He stood, entering the light fully, "Let us get started. I can only imagine the legends that may be told from your foolishness." For being the Creator of the Ghost Zone, he looked remarkably normal. He didn't even have glowing eyes like the spectral residents of his dimension. Short auburn hair, blue eyes, a white t-shirt, jeans, and gray high-tops. He actually looked like a college student, but being the Creator, the duo didn't dare comment on his looks.

Their plan to destroy Danny Phantom would finally come to fruition, though of the duo only Skulker had the thought that this may come back to bite them in the end. The Creator would not grant such favors without reason, and he could only wonder what price would be paid to the all-mighty being.

Technus had done a fine job of convincing him though, with fantasies of all the pelts and trophies that he could acquire, while the sunglasses wearing ghost would get to rule the Human World. With the added bonus to both ghosts that drove them deep down: The death and complete eradication of Danny Phantom. Of course, once they were finished here, phase 1 of the plan required several things. Being the great hunter that he claimed to be, Skulker would track these things down and secure them.

First, to seek out his ex-girlfriend Ember.

**And that's that for the first chapter of Nobody Lives Without Love. Yeah, there was no Danny or Star, but I wanted to set up the villains and hint at their agenda first. Anyone care to make a guess?**


	2. Changes

"_I can only imagine what goes through someone's mind to think such things are necessary. They say the way to hell is paved with good intentions, but in light of everything I believe hell is found with only the worst of intentions."_

_-Entry from the diary of Star Thompson_

It had been six months since Danny Fenton and Star Thompson began their relationship, and now two weeks into summer vacation they couldn't be happier. In those six months Danny had been introduced to Star's father Jeremy and gotten to know him enough that the halfa was welcome in the man's home to visit the blonde girl. Of course he was expected to follow any rules Jeremy set forth, and they weren't allowed to have the door closed if they were in Star's room. The half-ghost didn't have a problem with any of that, and so maintained a nice standing in the man's book.

For Star, although the introduction and warming up to Jack and Maddie Fenton was at first a slow, sometimes awkward, affair, the ghost hunting adults grew to love the girl as if she were a Fenton. It helped that the former A-lister brought Mr. Fenton fudge from time to time, which always put a smile on the large man's face. Mrs. Fenton was happy to see that, despite the way the girl had admitted to once behaving in school for the sake of popularity, that the blonde made the choice to be with someone she cared for regardless of what others thought. Star made her Daniel happy and treated him like a girlfriend should, and that was enough for the matriarch of the Fenton family.

The duo themselves had gone through some growing during those six months, as a couple and individuals. Encouraged by Danny to find something that she enjoyed and work towards possibly making a career out of it, Star had taken up photography two months into their relationship. The interest in the subject began after seeing some really nice landscape photographs hung upon the wall in one of the poetry cafes. Intrigued, Star bought a good camera set to start out and see how she would do.

At first she wasn't too sure if the pictures that she were taking really had any value. Sure they looked nice, but not having much knowledge in the field of photography gave her doubts. Danny put those doubts to rest. Though the hero was also not an expert, he gave her his completely honest opinions whenever she would show him photos she had shot. Some were good, some were average, and some were excellent. Her loving boyfriend further encouraged her to continue with her choice of a hobby/potential career, saying that while her works might be considered amateur by some, the only way to go would be up and that she should keep at it.

His words touched her heart, and so she indeed kept working at it. By the end of the school year she was working for the school newspaper, had made some money selling some of her better photos, and even managed to speak with the head of the Amity Park Review, the town's newspaper company. The man had looked at photos, and told her that if she continued to improve as she went through school and was interested in a position once she graduated, to come visit again with her updated portfolio.

All in all, Star felt that her life increasingly improved since becoming Danny Fenton's girlfriend. And she would keep working hard to show everyone that she was as intelligent as she was beautiful.

As for Danny, the biggest change for him was that after three months of being with Star, he revealed his alter-ego of Danny Phantom to her. He loved her with all his heart, and firmly believed that she could be trusted with the information. Plus, it never hurt to have an extra pair of eyes and ears around when he went on patrol to keep the town safe. Imagine his shock when Star wasn't really all that surprised by the revelation. She said it explained why he was sometimes so tired during the day, or why she would occasionally spot bruises on him. Plus, as she mentioned to him, "_If you look at your picture, and a picture of Danny Phantom, it's pretty obvious you're the same person._" That had gotten a good laugh between the couple.

While he encouraged Star to take up photography, she had helped him find something he was good at and found enjoyment in. Growing up he'd always dreamed of being an astronaut and working for NASA, but a suggestion from the blonde had him trying his hand, literally and figuratively, at writing. He had a vivid imagination and was more intelligent than he let on to those that weren't close, and so he started writing a handful of short stories and even dabbled in online fanfiction. Some of his creations were average, and some were really, really good if what people online and his friends told him.

In fact, Danny had decided to start writing up a rough outline and storyline for a book. With websites that helped out people just starting in the field of being an author available, the hero figured that it wouldn't hurt to eventually put a completed book up for sale and see if anyone liked it or was interested. So far he only had a couple of characters thought up and a vague plot; America has been invaded be Communist forces and must overcome the enemy, all while soldiers and civilians alike start to develop superpower-like abilities, causing some to question if it's their obligation to join the fight and defend their country.

Yeah, it wasn't really the greatest thing he'd thought of, but with crappy things like Twilight and The Hunger Games becoming insanely popular, for all he knew the finished book could turn into a hit. After all, wasn't Hunger Games just a rip off of Battle Royale, Gladiator, and The Running Man? Eh, but I digress. Wait, _I_? Better get out of here before Danny kicks my ass.

_Anyway_, so it was obvious to both teens that they had been having a great six months. The best kinds of relationships, after all, are the ones where both partners support and encourage each other to strive for success.

Team Phantom, with new member Star, had found it rather odd however, that recently ghost activity had begun to go down. Danny was happy and relieved, but Star and Sam both told him he shouldn't let his guard down. Any one of his numerous enemies could be using the lull in ghost attacks to plan some horrific scheme, or some new enemy he'd yet to encounter could be just around the corner. Thinking of how Pariah Dark had done just that, and nearly killed him, Danny took their words seriously and kept up his patrols, even when they ended up being a slow night with only someone like the Lunch Lady or Youngblood.

Little did Team Phantom know that possibly the greatest threat ever would hit soon, and hit hard.

**Elsewhere**

Her hands and arms would not stop their trembling. Looking around she eyed the apartment she'd broken into after wandering aimlessly in a daze for an hour. It was terrible; stains all over the walls, trash on the floor, furniture that looked ready to fall apart, etc. While a lot of Amity Park was in great condition, mostly the newer parts, this part of the city had been around since the 70s. The mayor in office before Vlad Masters came along had not cared enough about the handful of neighborhoods to put money towards renovating them, instead choosing to spend tax dollars on entirely new homes and businesses. Being in some of these old, worn down places made a person feel as if they had suddenly ended up in Detroit. But not the cool Detroit from Robocop, more like the hell hole it was in real life.

Her memories of the last few days were partially blurred. She remembered going to the soup kitchen for her daily meal, then afterwards trying to find some place to settle down and prepare for nighttime. Without warning something had struck into her chest and out her back, her world turning black before she had even hit the ground. In that one second before the darkness took her, the pain had been beyond agonizing.

Emotions swelled within her and panic started to rise. She'd been shot! Someone had tried to kill her, or…did they actually succeed? Curling in on herself Paulina stumbled backwards towards one of the living room walls. Her head felt wrong, so clouded with anger, fear, confusion, and sorrow. Even though she had felt nothing prior to entering this apartment, it seemed as if the memories of the last thing she could remember caused her chest and back to erupt in terrible pain. Her body felt like a fire had just ignited within, and curling inward as she was, the Latina saw a ring of black light appear around her stomach.

The light split in two, going up and down her body, causing her to physically change when the lights had reached the top of her head and the bottom of her feet. Such a sight frightened her greatly, her legs feeling weak suddenly, and causing her to stumble more. Paulina crashed into a vanity that had seen better days, her elbow slamming into the mirror on accident. She felt no pain, despite the fact that the glass now had a large web of cracks in it from where her strike made contact. With effort she finally stood straight, finding herself in front of another mirror. This one was a full-length, placed next to the vanity most likely to see how someone looked in whatever outfit they chose that day.

The person looking back was not Paulina Sanchez. At least, the teen hoped it wasn't. Instead of the dark tan her skin normally looked like, all the skin she could see was white as paper. If she didn't know any better she'd think she were one of the ghosts that regularly terrorized the town. Her skin also had changed physically. Unlike the smooth skin she'd always had, every inch of her body that she could see was covered in tough looking scales, like a snake or a scorpion. It was deeply disturbing, and the shock of it felt almost like terrifying panic. Her once black colored eyes had drastically changed also. The white of her eyes had turned black, while the iris was an electric yellow. Her teeth had become razor sharp as well, poking one with her tongue had hurt for a second, so she did her best to keep her now greyish lips closed.

The last physical change was the most startling one. Swaying lightly behind her was a _tail_ that too was covered in scales. It looked to be around six feet long, with small spikey protrusions running down the top, before ending in a deadly looking, pointed stinger that looked more stone-like than flesh. She had no idea how it was moving, certainly not because she wanted it to, so perhaps her raging emotions, pounding heart, and erratic mind were causing the appendage to move on instinct.

These changes were so drastic and sudden Paulina thought she was going to have a stroke or a heart attack. Looking into the mirror again, she saw a huge blood stain on her shirt that matched where her memory showed having been shot. Her jeans, though not covered in blood, were in just as bad of shape. They were being help up with an old, wore out belt, being two sizes too big, and several holes had been torn in the material, showing scaly, white flesh underneath.

In a fit of rage, having been reminded once more of her poverty status that had begun five months ago, Paulina struck the full-length mirror with all her might. The glass shattered as easily as a blade of grass were cut, her fist going through and out the other side of the object. Yanking her arm back she was surprised to see not a scratch on her. Whatever had happened seemed to have turned her into something very powerful. Looking down at her ruined clothes, her mind began to work.

Ripping the shirt in half and tossing it away, followed by her worn jeans and tattered shoes, the Hispanic girl went into the only bedroom looking for something to wear. It seemed luck was on her side. White denim jeans in her size went on, followed by a red tank top, and black boots. The boots weren't her style, but they were in decent shape, and after living in low-class poverty for five months she was not going to complain. Interestingly, while looking for a shirt she'd noticed in _another_ mirror that the spiked ridges along her tail traveled up her back, ending just at her shoulders. Odd, but they looked tough, so she hoped that it would protect her if someone or something tried to attack her from behind.

The former Queen of Casper High didn't really understand what was happening, but perhaps she had somehow been turned into a part-human, part-ghost, part-scorpion…_thing_. It hurt to call herself a thing in all honesty, but there wasn't really any other word for it right now. She was frightened, confused, and angry, and her mind coped the best way it knew; shut down and just go with things. Yet, within her mind an idea started to form.

The last five months had been absolute _hell_ for the girl. After the school dance where she had been beat for the top spot by Star, the police had suddenly come to her home about two weeks after and arrested her father. They said that they had evidence he had been embezzling money from the company he worked for, _Silas Industries_, and selling corporate secrets to rivals. Her father had denied ever doing any such thing on either charge, but an investigation went on. In the month after, all the bank accounts their family had, and the money her mother had left in an account for them through her will, had been seized by the bank on the order of the District Attorney.

Paulina couldn't believe what was happening at the time. She didn't think any of it was true, no matter what evidence they had she truly believed her father to be a good man and a hard worker. Yet, no matter what she thought, the adults did what _they_ thought was best. Tragically, her father could not deal with the turmoil he was being put through, and shot himself one night after drinking an entire bottle of hard liquor. Without even offering her any condolences or words of strength, the District Attorney still pushed forward with his case against her father.

In the end, all the money that had been seized was given to the bank, the house had been taken and sold, along with everything within, and Paulina was told she would not receive any type of benefits or help from _Silas Industries_ on account of her father's actions. After all was said and done, Paulina Sanchez had been left penniless, homeless, and with just the clothes on her back. Word of everything that happened had gotten around at school, and suddenly she went from being the Queen of the A-listers, to being worth less than Danny Fenton and his group of friends. Whether it was judging stares, as is _she_ had done something criminal, or people pointing and laughing at her misfortune, everyone had turned on her. The ridicule from Dash had hurt her emotionally the worst.

Unable to handle things emotionally or mentally, Paulina had dropped out of school and struggled to adjust to a life as a homeless teen. That was five months ago. Now, with these strange, but almost welcoming changes, she would make everyone that had put her in this vulnerable position pay, and pay _dearly_.

**Hey guys, I hope you liked the chapter. Sorry there wasn't any dialogue between Danny and Star, but I felt that for their first appearance I wanted to just go for doing some info and building them up a little. Next time we see them they will have dialogue and it will be them in the flesh, so to speak.**

**Pretty dark turn for Paulina, but yes, she was the dead girl from the first chapter that Technus and Skulker had revived. I wonder, perhaps they had a reason for doing so? We'll have to see won't we?**


	3. Feel The Noise

**Let's see what's going to happen now, since several players have already started making their move.**

"_There's a big difference between ruling the world and destroying everything in sight. I considered myself part of the former, but after what happened I just want to live my afterlife peacefully."_

_-Note written on sheet music signed Ember_

Having broken up with him several weeks ago, rock princess Ember McLain hoped to not see Skulker for quite some time. For her that meant at least six months to a year minimum, but the hunter obviously had other ideas of what '_We're through_' meant. The rocker had been enjoying some peace and quiet at one of the music stores within Amity Park, luckily being left alone by the irritating Ghost Boy, when the other ghost had walked in and made a beeline straight for her.

Setting down the record she was looking at, the diva crossed her arms and glared harshly, "Maybe I wasn't clear enough last time Skulker, but We. Are. Through. All you care about is hunting and getting more trophies, and I refuse to be put aside in favor of your unrealistic habits."

Skulker's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly, obviously offended by her remarks. However, he wasn't here to get her back, or to argue about what happened in the past. He was here for one thing and he wasn't leaving until he got it. "I have need of your guitar Ember. I would suggest you hand it over so that I may be on my way." Knowing the chance of her agreeing without a struggle was low, he started charging up an ectoblast behind his back.

One of her teal eyebrows rose in disbelief. He couldn't be serious, and if he was he must have finally gone crazy. There was no way she would part with her guitar. It was a part of her as a person, as a ghost, and music was her one true passion in both life and afterlife. "You must've lost what little brains you had in a fight with the dipstick or something. I'd never give my guitar away unless there was a _really_ good reason, and even then I'd never give it to _you_."

Skulker nodded easily, "I figured as much. We'll do this the fun way then." Bringing his arm around quickly, the ghost hunter fired his charged up ectoblast point-blank into the rocker's face. She was sent flying into a shelf of CDs with a pained cry, the shelf crumbling under the impact and falling back onto the floor. A normal blast from Skulker, when he wasn't using one of the many weapons within his arsenal, wasn't that strong and didn't really do much against a ghost as powerful as Ember. Like all ghosts however, if he charged a blast like he had done it could do serious damage to someone like Fright Knight, Ember, or Desiree.

Normally the hunter would pipe off with some kind of mocking banter, however Technus had stressed the urgency of obtaining his ex's instrument, especially in the chance that the Ghost Child might show up and ruin things. Technus had been extremely interested in the guitar after Skulker mentioned that it was indestructible and had never once even been _scratched_ during battles with Phantom. Whatever material it was made of would be invaluable for their plan, and with Ember virtually powerless, they would have one less potential obstacle to deal with.

The flame-haired ghost diva was just getting to her feet when Skulker struck her across the face with his gauntlet covered fist, disorientating her long enough for the hunter to grab her flaming pony-tail and swing her into another shelf, then slam her into a large TV that had been playing music videos. The rocker was taken completely off guard by the consecutive attacks, and though being thrown into the shelves didn't hurt too much, it kept knocking the wind out of her. The larger ghost let go of her hair and grabbed her purple and teal guitar. Just as Ember managed to stand on her two feet Skulker swung the instrument into her face as hard as he could.

Ember was sent flying through several counters with music upon them, skidding along the floor of the store all the way to the back wall. That had hurt a lot, both physically and to her pride. It wasn't often an enemy could get ahold of her guitar, much less use it against her. Plus, a physical strike from her instrument hurt quite a bit, being it was made out of a super durable material that even she didn't know the origin of. When she was alive it had been just a regular electric guitar she had bought from a music store, but after her early death it turned into something beyond that.

She tried to stand up, but Skulker grabbed ahold of her and wrapped a steel cord around her neck. With his strength-enhancing suit the hunter began pulling the cord as hard as he could, the steel biting down into Ember's neck easily, choking her and causing excruciating pain. The few humans who had remained within the store were completely shocked by the absolute brutality shown by the so-called 'Greatest Hunter in the Ghost Zone'. Sure most people within Amity Park had seen Skulker and Danny Phantom have some knock out, drag out fights, but never had the buff ghost, or any ghost really, acted so violent whenever they were terrorizing the town, and especially not towards another ghost.

Ember pulled against the cord, but after having taken some serious hits already, she was unable to muster the strength to remove the painful object from around her neck. Being in pain she wasn't able to focus enough to turn intangible either, and for a frightening moment she worried that Skulker would break her neck and paralyze her. "Wh-why are you….d-doing this?"

A second later the pressure on her neck let off and she fell to her hands and knees, coughing up a little ectoplasm onto the floor. A heavy boot pressed onto her back, pushing her flat to the ground. "Your guitar is a rather unique item within the Ghost Zone. No other like it exists, and unfortunately for you I'm in need of it for something important. You on the other hand," He raised the guitar into the air by the neck, "We don't need you whatsoever. You don't have enough power for what we have in mind."

Without another word he smashed the body of the instrument into her head, knocking her out cold instantly. Like the monster he was, Skulker struck her skull again, and again, and again, until ectoplasm leaked out of her mouth and she was no longer breathing. While ghosts didn't need to breathe, many did so out of habit from when they lived. To see her so lifeless upon the floor was a terrifying image for many of the people who had not left. Using all the strength he could put into it, Skulker struck Ember's skull one more time, the impact making a horrible sound and splattering the guitar body with ectoplasm. "Besides, no one dumps the greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone."

Hearing the sirens of police vehicles outside the store, Skulker strapped the instrument to his back and turned invisible. While the Amity Park Police swarmed the building he flew away with none the wiser.

**Elsewhere**

"You know, I'm really beginning to think it was a bad idea introducing you to this place when we first started getting to know each other." Danny sighed dramatically as he stared at the screen of the game they were playing. He and his girlfriend Star were at the arcade enjoying a nice summer afternoon. Twenty minutes in and once again she was stomping him badly at yet another game. They had been playing _Mortal Kombat 4_, and out of five tries he had lost all five. He watched dejectedly as her character, Jax, used his Fatality and ripped his character, Reptile, in half at the waist.

Star laughed lightly, then kissed his cheek sweetly, "Don't worry about it babe. At least when you and Tucker go head-to-head you win more than you lose."

The halfa nodded at that, for indeed out of five matches, had the hero been playing against the tech savvy boy he would have won at least three of them. In certain games Tucker could wipe the floor with Danny, but usually the two had a healthy competitive back and forth record for wins and losses. Which made it all the more awesome when Tucker would be completely obliterated by the blonde.

After playing two more games, and a new high score being set on the _Mrs. Pac-Man_ machine, the couple grabbed some drinks and an order of buffalo wings and sat down. In the six months they had been together they had not changed much in their looks, except Danny was starting to really fill out from the two years of fighting ghosts, and Star herself was getting a toned body from helping him. Neither were quite in the 'muscular' category, but more of the 'definition' one, both teens having pretty much converted any baby fat into muscle.

Danny was glad that his body had stayed lithe, as both he and Star felt that being built like a tank, such as Dash Baxter, would be kind of gross. As for Star, she was in the best shape of her life, and was happy that she no longer became easily winded when Team Phantom were taking on whatever ghost decided to attack.

"By the way, I finally got a chance to read your latest chapter that you posted for your story online. I really liked it, and I think you did a good job keeping the couple in it from seeming obsessed with each other." Star smiled at the blue-eyed boy happily, then her smile turned sly, "I also like that the girl in it reminds me of someone with blonde hair, whose kind, and has a good head on her shoulders. You wouldn't happen to be willing to tell me where the inspiration came from would you?"

Danny blushed a little, for even after six months together, at times she could make him feel shy, in a good way of course. "Thanks, and I based her off this wonderful girl that I happen to know. You probably know her, she is super awesome, and gorgeous, and pretty much fills my heart with joy just thinking about her."

The two shared a laugh, since the main characters of his fanfiction were partially based on them. After a few minutes of silently enjoying their food, Star broached a subject that they both had on their minds lately. "Any idea why there's hardly been a ghost attack in the last several weeks? Not that I'm complaining, but that's kind of weird isn't it?"

Danny took a gulp of his soda and nodded in response. "I've noticed that any time there's a large gap of ghostly activity in this town it's because something even worse is just around the corner. Trust me, it happened with Pariah Dark and with that dark version of me. The lull in ghosts right now is going to be filled with something that makes the rest of them look like a walk in the park." His eyes narrowed in irritation at the thought, knowing that both times when faced with powerful adversaries he had nearly lost, and such a loss would have had terrible consequences.

Star grabbed his hand and rubbed her thumb over the skin in light circles. "Hey, at least we have numbers over whatever decides to try anything. You, me, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Valarie when she's not trying to fry you." The reminder of the fact that he had backup that would support him no matter what, though Valarie was kind of on the fence as she hated Phantom, brought back the teen's smile.

"Yeah, you're right. No matter what, as long as you guys are around nothing can keep me down for long. Maybe we can take advantage of this peace and try finding Paulina." His suggestion was soft-spoken, as he had little trouble remember all the tragedy the Hispanic girl had gone through before disappearing off the face of the earth.

Star herself desperately wished she knew where her former friend was. Despite the falling out with the A-list, Paulina in particular, Star and the rest of Team Phantom had the equivalent of front row seats to the hardship the former Queen of Casper High went through. Seeing the pain the girl was going through at the time made Star want to run up to her and hold her tight. The blonde didn't believe in grudges, and wouldn't wish the string of bad events on anyone. It didn't matter that Paulina had treated her like crap for so long, Star wanted to try helping her. Then with the Latina dropping out of school and disappearing into the vast amount of homeless living in the city, that chance to help was taken.

No one, not the police, nor Team Phantom, had been able to locate her. Just the thought that the teen could be dead, or living in some unsanitary hellhole, and all kinds of ever worsening scenarios, brought heartache to Star. The rest of Team Phantom felt for the missing girl too, but they had never been close to her as Star had.

Star turned her sad thoughts off, not wanting to get too worked up and ruin the date the duo were on. "Always the hero Danny, looking out for everyone no matter who they are." She smiled at her boyfriend, thankful for every day that they had each other.

Danny returned her smile and started leaning in for a kiss, when he gasped and felt the familiar chill of his Ghost Sense going off.

**Amity First Bank**

Everyone stared at the person whom had walked into the bank. It was some kind of ghost that was new in town, for no one had ever seen her before. White scaled flesh, yellow eyes, long black hair, scorpion-like tail, white jeans, red tank top, and a dangerous looking scowl. Her electric eyes swept over each and every person, until she saw the one she was looking for.

Paulina pointed at the manager of the bank, the one that had been in charge of taking possession of her home and everything within and liquidating it at a state auction. "You and I have some things to discuss." Then she began walking towards him, nearly snarling like an animal with each step closer.

**Fenton Works**

"Maddie, the computers are picking up a massive ghost signature downtown!" Jack Fenton yelled for his wife while he gathered up several Fenton ghost hunting inventions, including a few Fenton brand bazookas and high-impact grenades.

Maddie poked her head into the basement, having been in the kitchen when the alarms went off. "I'll start the Fenton RV. Make sure to grab the Jack-of-Nine-Tails while you're at it!" She dashed in the direction of the garage, already thinking of all the horrifying experiments her and Jack would do to whatever spook dared show its face this time.

Jack nodded like a kid on a sugar high, having not even thought of the weapon named after himself. "Good thinking Maddie, that'll put the hurt on those ectoplasmic collections of consciousness!"

**Poor Ember. Wonder what our villains need her guitar for? Now we're about to see our hero and our angry experiment meet. Wonder how that will go?**


	4. Welcome To Town

**Now we get to see Danny and the new Paulina meet. Perhaps we will also see Ember or Technus? Idk yet. BTW, the stinger at the end of Paulina's tail isn't like a normal scorpion stinger. It looks more like an arrowhead, with a rough texture like the rock-like spines along her back.**

4

"_After today's ghost incident the damage to downtown Amity Park is still being assessed. Police have yet to decide if charges will be filed against the Fentons. No official statement has yet been made by the Guys In White or Mayor Masters."_

_News channel 6, news anchor Kevin during the 5'o'clock news broadcast_

Paulina watched with narrowed eyes as the bank manager, Josh Keens, loaded up several large bags with stacks of money. Each bundle of 100 dollar bills totaled out to $10,000, and she herself was ripping safety deposit boxes out of the wall and taking any valuable jewelry or precious gems. When she was finished with everything it wouldn't even matter how much she'd stolen from him, and others by proxy, only that he would feel the same crushing agony that came with having everything taken from you. The half-ghost remembered his snide attitude well during the investigation against her father.

Keens had mostly reacted with a complete lack of empathy or care for her, however, after the court had ordered the seizure of her estate the man had told her to her face that life sucked and to just deal with it. Well, now she was going to make him _deal_ with someone taking every single bit of money from his bank she could carry.

The man finished tying another bag closed, the fourth one, and of all things began to beg, "Listen, please, I don't know who you are, but please just take whatever you want. Don't hurt me, I'll do everything you ask, just don't hurt me, please," He was cut off as Paulina put her hand on his face and shoved him into the wall, using just a bit of pressure to cause him pain.

Her electric yellow eyes nearly stopped him from breathing, so fierce was the glare she was giving him. "Of course you don't know who I am. I learned in recent months that people who are truly selfish and only care about themselves never remember those that they've destroyed in the process. You are one that took everything from me, I'm only returning the favor _trash_. So concerned for yourself that you don't even ask for me not to harm everyone else, but I'm not like you." Indeed, although the bank guards had opened fire on her with their pistols, the bullets had not so much as scratched her. All she had done to everyone in the bank was lock them in one of the larger offices in the lobby and barricade the doorway.

Keens looked at her like she was insane, completely disregarding the fact that she could easily crush his skull in. "I didn't do anything to you! I've never once messed with any of the ghosts in this town, and I've never even seen you before today." His shouting was rewarded with being tossed across the room into the opposite wall. His body hit with a _thud_ and fell into a stunned heap. The man wasn't given a reprieve as Paulina's tail slammed into his left knee, breaking it with ease, then doing the same to the other.

His whimpering cries did not earn him any sympathy from the revived girl. Two broken knees did not even come close to the same amount of pain the Latina had gone through. Yet she was not a murderer, and despite what she felt for him, he would not be the reason she became one. Having bagged everything, she eyed him disdainfully one last time before grabbing the four bags of cash and valuables and walked out of the vault. The barricaded room was not even given a glance as she made her way through the lobby and out the front doors of the bank.

Instead of being met with the Amity Park Police Department as she had expected, floating in the street with his arms crossed was Amity Park's resident hero, Danny Phantom. They eyed each other for a second before Danny spoke, "Usually ghosts are out and about terrorizing or planning some kind of world-domination scheme. You're the first that I've met that decided to rob a bank." While it was curious behavior for a ghost, he would put her in a Thermos and back in the Ghost Zone just like all the others.

For Paulina, something was happening inside her mind. She saw a bright light above her, blinding her, but also keeping her attention as if it were the only thing that existed. The light, and the voice that began speaking, entranced her suddenly.

_Phantom is the enemy_

Although only a second passed in the real world, within the girl's mind it was as if days of agonizing torture passed, with only the light and that one instruction to keep her company. Paulina dropped the bags full of money and _growled_ at Danny, the sound completely primal and involuntary. The female half-ghost charged the male half-ghost, surprising him with the lack of responding banter or even human speech. She sprung into the air and attempted to tackle him, but the silver-haired boy dodged and retaliated with a punch to her face. Paulina wasn't fazed by his attack and tried biting him with her sharpened teeth.

"Whoa! No need to take a limb away now." Danny jibed, despite being surprised earlier he still felt the need for mocking banter. Paulina answered him by spinning, slamming him with her tail and sending him into one of the cars parked in front of the bank.

"_Skreeeng_," She roared at him, still seemingly locked away in whatever madness her mind created upon seeing him, and then charged him again.

An ecto-blast shot from the wrecked car into Paulina's chest. The blast was a strong one that sent her through the window of a store across the street, the people inside screaming in fright and leaving as fast as they could. Danny emerged from his indention that had been made when he slammed into the car, a frown on his face. He turned to the ruined vehicle and sighed, "Sorry car. Just another thing I'll get blamed for even though it wasn't my fault." His gaze returned to the store his blast sent the ghost into, his body rising into the air as he floated towards it.

Once inside he looked around for the tough ghost, but to his dismay all he found was a large hole in the floor. "Burrowed?" The hero floated back outside and looked around for any signs of his foe. Had he been looking down he might have avoided the attack. Paulina emerged from the ground in a shower of asphalt and concrete, latching onto Danny and sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

"Ahhh!" The pain was excruciating, and Danny couldn't focus enough to turn intangible. Without really thinking about it he flew backwards into a building, then repeated the action twice, finally causing Paulina to let go of him. Grabbing hold of her hair the teen swung her around and tossed her back to the ground. The female half-ghost impacted roughly, but her toughened skin and knife-like spikes protected her from any real damage.

Standing back up Paulina kept her eyes locked on Danny, the boy holding onto his injured shoulder, but otherwise not too hurt to stop fighting. "I don't know what your problem is, but I've had just about enough of you!" Danny put both hands in front of himself and started charging up his powerful ice beams. If he could freeze her then using the Fenton Thermos would be a snap. With the complete lack of banter or boasting from his opponent, it was obvious that she was more dangerous than your average ghosts like Johnny 13 or Desiree. There was also the fact that the longer the fight went on, the greater the chance that his parents or Valarie would show up, and he _really_ didn't want to have to fight them too.

In response to Danny's ice beams, Paulina took a deep breath. The dorsal spikes that lined her back and tail began to light up the same electric yellow as her eyes. A few seconds of gathering up power and she unleashed a yellow beam from her mouth. Her beam and Danny's met, the attacks halting the other for several moments in a struggle, before Paulina's pushed Danny's back. When her attack collided with his chest it caused an explosion that sent the teen hero out of the air, crashing to the ground harshly.

His body dug into the road, leaving a short trail of busted concrete ten feet long. The rough treatment from the ground didn't hurt near as bad as when Paulina's beam had made contact. It stung terribly, feeling as if he had spilled acid on his skin, and when he looked down to see if any lasting damage had been done he saw that part of his jumpsuit was vaporized. The skin on his chest was also damaged, starting to blister and turn a harsh shade of red.

Danny looked back to his enemy, glaring at her, and once more wondering what had gotten her so upset. Then he saw something that made him truly cringe.

"Freeze spooks!"

Both halfas turned towards the loud command, Jack and Maddie Fenton standing battle-ready. Jack held a Fenton brand bazooka, with another strapped to his back. His wife also held one, while she had several ecto pistols hanging from her belt. The ghost hunting couple each aimed at one of the two ghosts, knowing that Danny Phantom would probably take several hits to take down if he didn't run away, while having no idea who the female ghost with the tail was.

"Come quietly with us so we can perform all kinds of painful and invasive experiments. You ectoplasmic freaks deserve no less than to be ripped apart molecule by molecule." Maddie figured they would try something, but coercing them was always possible.

"Fuck…..I'm out of here." Danny mumbled to himself. His chest still burned painfully, and he was in no mood to deal with his crazy parents. With a thought he turned invisible and flew back to where he'd left Star at the arcade. He hated leaving such a powerful ghost behind uncaptured, but with his injury he wouldn't be able to effectively take on the girl and his mom and dad.

His actions set off a chain reaction, as Jack and Maddie saw this as the green light to shoot at Paulina. Large green ecto-beams shot out of the bazookas towards the newer hybrid, but she did something that no other ghost had ever done so far in Amity's history. She just ducked. The beams went over her head as she crouched low, crashing into a café next to the bank, causing it to explode in a shower of glass and bricks.

The Fentons stared in shock for several seconds, completely taken aback by what happened. Usually ghosts would either turn intangible, run, or fight back when the duo started shooting weapons. They were not allowed to think too long on it as Paulina rushed to her stolen loot and began running down the road. That shook them out of their stupor and sent them back into high gear.

"After it! We'll catch her in the RV." Maddie yelled as they jumped back into the Fenton RV and Jack floored the gas. The eager woman pressed a few buttons on the dash and two panels opened on the roof in response, along with one on each side of the RV. From the roof emerged two machine-guns designed to fire anti-ghost bullets, while missile launchers were revealed on each side, each missile filled with ectoranium and ectoplasm.

Neither ghost hunter realized exactly the kind of consequences that might occur on account of the fact that they decided to use such weapons, so overzealous to catch and dissect a new ghost.

**So, the ending of this chapter, and part of the next chapter, will be a nice dive into the fact that I refuse to believe the fact that Amity Park was never really messed up from all the ghost attacks, ghost fights, or the Fentons firing high grade weapons of destruction in populated areas like dumbasses. For fucks sake at least Avatar shows the environment sometimes being damaged by people's actions, and it's a Nickelodeon show too. Perhaps Butch Hartman is just an idiot. Sigh.**

**Anyway, explanations about Paulina will come, but for now it's a mystery. I hope you like backstabbing, brainwashing, and destruction. We will see Jazz, Tucker, and Sam soon as well, and more DannyxStar interaction and romance. Remember, no one realizes that Paulina is the ghost, so wonder what will happen when they eventually do?**


	5. Unknown

**Thanks to all for the reviews, favs, and alerts. I appreciate it a lot. Sorry the update is a little late. My job is leaving me so tired that after work I just collapse in bed and don't feel like writing. Onto the show.**

_"If I was left to choose between you or ghost hunting, the answer would be obvious. I wouldn't even need to think about it." –Danny, on a date with Star_

Skulker returned to the factory that Technus had decided to take over upon the duo's arrival in the Human World. He stayed intangible, watching as the owner, overshadowed by his ally, ordered the workers to begin the process of building their weapon. Technus, in the man's body, turned to where the hunter floated, having sensed his return.

"Alright everyone, keep up the good work. I have some things to take care of in my office, so unless it's a dire emergency please do not disturb me." With that he turned away from the employees, walking with his hands clasped behind him as he began to ascend the stairs that led to the offices overlooking the production area. After a minute of continued walking the possessed man opened the door to his office with a keycard, Skulker silently following along.

The man sat in the leather chair behind his fancy oak desk, covered in blueprints, readouts, calculations, and other data. Looking up he spoke, "Did you manage to retrieve the item?" This time it was clearly Technus' voice coming from the man.

Pulling Ember's guitar from subspace Skulker grinned savagely, still thinking of the beating he had given his ex-girlfriend. "Of course. It was rather simple with the upgrades to my armor. And with it being powered by our captive I felt stronger than I ever have before. I'm rather surprised you never thought to do something like this earlier."

Technus took the guitar from his partner's hand and touched the surface lightly. His smile was rather smug as he stood and moved to a keypad on the wall. "I have thought of it actually, however I never had someone to test out the process with. No volunteers for battery or weapon. With this now," His eyes went to the instrument again, "With this we will have an infinite power source to keep the machine working. Our captive is giving a serious amount of power to this facility as is."

Pulling out a keycard from his pocket, Technus swiped it then entered the password on the keyboard that emerged from the wall. _NEGATIVE SPACE_

The keypad beeped once, accepting his card swipe and password, allowing a large section of the wall next to it to move up into the ceiling. The duo calmly walked into the new room, which was the complete opposite of the nice office they were just in. Inside the walls were lined with computers and monitors, displaying various data on several different things. The room was like a narrow corridor, several doors leading to other rooms in between the tech here and there, but all were ignored for a door that was marked _Hazard_.

Upon reaching the door Technus pulled another keycard and swiped it, then pulled yet _another_ keycard. This one, however, he channeled ecto-energy into, then swiped it. The red light above the door turned green, allowing the door itself to slide into the wall. Within this room was a large machine with dozens of hoses and wires hooked into it, along with a few monitors showing various data.

The machine was a red colored dome, with a small area of glass that allowed one to see inside it. "I would never have thought to use all that accumulated energy this way. How on earth did you come up with the idea?" Skulker listlessly gazed from the machine to his partner.

Technus waved his hand nonchalantly, moving to look into the visor. "I read a comic book that had a similar idea. She was the obvious choice as she has lived far longer than most of us, and her power has only grown with time."

Inside the machine, surrounded by green liquid and held still with anti-ghost restraints, was an unconscious Desiree, hooked up with several hoses and wires like some kind of car battery.

**With Danny**

Danny turned tangible inside Star's IROC, startling his girlfriend whom had been worried when she saw a building explode, not knowing that Danny's parents had been responsible. Seeing his wounded chest sent her into a panic. "Oh my god! Are you ok?" She reached out to him, but avoided touching the burned area, knowing it would only make the pain worse.

Gritting his teeth and grimacing, Danny nonetheless nodded. "It hurts a lot, but I think it will heal up. Might leave a scar of some kind, but I'm used to those so no big." He was surprised when Star grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. After a second or two he closed his eyes and kissed her back just as passionately.

When they broke apart they leaned their foreheads together, staring into each other's eyes, smiling slightly. Star nuzzled her cheek into his, sighing as she knew that their time together was going to be cut short. "I hate when you get hurt doing your hero thing, but, since I know you won't listen all I can do is wish you luck." She kissed him again, though it was a light peck this time. "And reward the brave hero for his efforts."

Despite the months they had been a couple, there were times that his wonderful girlfriend could still make him blush. Now was one of those times. "Well, when the chips are on the table your luck is all I need. Though, the love, support, and extra hands during a ghost attack are nice too."

His cheekiness earned him a playful smack on the head. "I have to go back and finish it. That ghost was pretty strong, and if I'd had some time I could have figured out a way to beat her. My parents got involved, but even with them making things more complicated I can't let whoever that ghost was run wild."

Then his eyes narrowed in thought, "Though, it was really weird that she was robbing a bank of all things. Wasn't causing destruction or anything actually, until she saw me. Then she went nuts, like some kind of animal."

Star stared at him for a second, processing what he said. That kind of behavior, ghost or not, spoke of something deeper than just an angry ghost. To go from nothing to a frenzy upon seeing her boyfriend. It was rather suspect. "Well, just do what you can ok? If it gets too hairy then get out of there, hero or not."

Just before he turned intangible he smirked at her, "No promises."

**Elsewhere**

Paulina turned to look behind her, then leaned her body to the right to avoid another missile shot at her by the Fenton RV. The projectile sailed past her and into a car parked next to the sidewalk. It exploded furiously, scattering debris all around, pedestrians screaming in fear as they fled away from the destruction.

"Damn ghost! Stop moving so we can blast you to pieces!" Jack's demand went unheard, and most likely would've went unanswered. He pressed the missile lock button, wishing to fire a few more at the elusive ghost. She was perched upon the roof of another car, holding her bags of stolen money tightly. The halfa was not about to let these idiots spoil her heist.

"Fire away Jack!" Despite the previous failures, the duo had so much faith in their own inventions and weapons that they refused to back down from this ghost. Plus, the idea that as smart and evasive as it was, the plethora of data that could be obtained from experiments on it was too good to pass up.

Two missiles shot out of the RV, aimed for Paulina. The teen waited for a second then jumped off the car, the missiles flying by her harmlessly, but the new target of the explosives wasn't so lucky. They impacted the market store Paulina had been in front of and exploded violently. The store turned to rubble in an instant, and the two surrounding buildings were heavily damaged by the blast as well.

It was fortunate that by this time the area had been evacuated, otherwise more than a few people would have been killed. The Fentons, while not heartless, were too worked up over Paulina to really worry about anything else other than the halfa. Said teen was running towards a manhole in the middle of the street. If this fight kept up there was a huge chance that her bags of money were going to be an unacceptable casualty. Once she reached the manhole she pierced the cover with her pointed tail, flinging the heavy object in the direction of the Fenton RV.

While not designed for this purpose, the ghost shield that appeared around the RV prevented the metal cover from damaging the vehicle, however the force of the throw caused the entire shield to instantly begin cracking. The distraction worked perfectly, as Paulina tossed the money down into the sewer with intentions of grabbing it after she dealt with these two imbeciles.

The spikes along her back and tail began to glow yellow, the sign that she was about to unleashed her ecto-beam. The yellow energy appeared in her mouth for a moment before the powerful attack was let loose. The recovering ghost shield on the RV didn't stand a chance, shattering with force only two seconds after Paulina's attack struck. The backlash from the attack caused the RV to short circuit, unable to handle the sheer power behind the ecto-beam. Several panels and screens inside the vehicle sparked and died, black smoke seeping from beneath the metal that housed them.

Jack and Maddie finally managed to open their eyes, having closed them and turned away when all the equipment went haywire. The couple were alarmed to find Paulina crouched on the hood, clawed hands digging into the vehicle to keep balanced. Her spikes began glowing again, the anger in the teen's eyes actually startling the ghost hunters for a second. At point blank range they would not survive such a strong attack.

But the halfa surprised them, suddenly tilting her head down and firing off her beam at the engine bay of the RV. Despite all the advancements the married duo had made to ghost technology over the years, engines that could withstand a ghost-powered attack were not one of them. No explosion happened, but the smell of melted cast iron was heavy. For the moment it seemed the Fenton's mode of transportation was going nowhere.

Dropping to the asphalt Paulina sneered in anger at the ghost fanatics. She had long since snapped out of whatever psychosis she had fallen under upon seeing Danny Phantom, which is why she was able to dodge every attack the Fentons had tried against her. With a clear mind her intelligence was able to match theirs. "You stupid _lunatico demente_, if this area hadn't been evacuated by the police then you would have _killed_ someone. Are you so desperate to experiment of me that you don't care who gets hurt along the way?"

Paulina turned away from them, intent of entering the sewer, grabbing her money, then returning to that rundown apartment she'd found her current clothing in. Unfortunately floating in front of her was the very halfa she fought before the Fentons showed up. He was eyeing her cautiously, arms at his side, and the burn mark on his chest still healing.

"Ready for round two?" This time he had a somewhat better idea of how to fight her. She didn't seem to be able to fire ecto-beams out of her hands like normal ghosts, nor did she once take flight or turn intangible. Perhaps she was saving those for an emergency, but he had a strong feeling that she was unable to do any of those things.

The blinding light and commanding voice telling her to fight did not appear this time. She didn't know why, but was glad. When she fought him the first time it was like she was trapped within her own body, a passenger along for the ride. This time she would be able to fight as herself. All she could remember before waking up was the hellish experience of her life falling apart, and being killed, other than that she had no memories at all.

She needed to find out why, needed to find out who she was. It was like she was Paulina, but she didn't know who Paulina was. The halfa wanted answers, and Danny Phantom seemed intent on fighting her. He would not stop her, from revenge or answers. "Of course I am. I'm not afraid of you Ghost Boy. Paulina doesn't back down from anyone that challenges her." Ok, perhaps referring to herself in third person was odd, but it got the point across.

"Paulina?" Danny was beyond shocked by what she'd said. This, this couldn't be _Paulina_, could it? So surprised by her admission that he didn't react in time to avoid her leaping tackle, teeth sinking into his shoulder a second time in one day.

**I apologize about the wait. As said I have been so tired after work that sitting down and typing has become a real chore. Good news is I'm about to be promoted to shift manager at my job. Hooray for a pay increase. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter is part two of Danny and Paulina fighting, with some Star angst thrown in, and Vlad makes an appearance.**


End file.
